Multiphone.



N0. 637,26l. Patented Nov. 2|, |899. J. A. IBVING.

MULTIPHONE.

(Application led Feb. 3, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. IRVING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO GEORGE M. BURNS, OF SAME PLACE.

MULTIPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 637,261, dated November 21, 1899.;

Application filed February 3, 1899. Serial No. 704,365; (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. IRVING, a citi zen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and Stat-e of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiphones, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to a wind musical or Io similar sound instrument, designated as a multiphone, and in such connection itrelates particularly to the construction and arrangement of such an instrument for use as a toy or for other purposes. l5 The principal object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple and economical wind'instru ment adapted to be used successfully by any person capable of uttering sound for producing variable musical intozo nations, according to the skill exercised in production of sound wave ampliiications through the intervention of a disk within the body of the instrument sensitive to vibrations and which are separated and distributed through perforations of a diaphragm within a sonorous bell-shaped metal horn to produce musical or similar tones of variable composition.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a musical wind instrument, designated as a' multiphone, when constructed and arranged in substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view of an instrument embodying the particular features of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the saine.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a bell-shaped horn provided with a rear offset portion internally threaded and forming a socket a, adapted to receive and hold a perforated lnetal or other diaphragm b, through which sound-waves are separated and finely distributed into the bell-shaped horn. A, thereby producing tones which are both mellow7 and musical, as hereinafter more fully eX- plained. Around about the wall ofthe socket a, on the inside above the perforated diaL phragm is placed a ring or washer e, upon which rests a varnished paper or other diskv d, provided with a central brass or other type of headed pin e'. y

B is the detachable hollow mouthpiece of the horn A, offset in front and externally threaded atf to iit into the socket Cl, and in 6o the front or head of the offset portion of the mouthpiece is formed a recess or chamber g, in which is mounted a spanning strip or wire 7L, with a project-i ng centrally-arranged point 7L', adapted to contact with the head of the 65 pin e' of the paper or other disk d. The point h of the spanning piece 7i when pressed against the metallic point e of the disk d serves to support said disk upon the ring e, so that it will reproduce sound-waves set up 7o by singing into the mouthpiece l). These reproduced sound--waves are strained and dis-` tributed by the perforated diaphragm b and then enter the horn A, through which they pass in their finely divided state and are amplified bythe said horn and from which they emerge in mellow and musical reproductions of the vibrations set up by the disk d. By screwing the mouthpiece b into the socket d to a more or less extent the tension 8o on the disk d may be increased or decreased to change or vary the pitch and power of the instrument.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an instrument of the character described, provided with a mouthpiece, a perforated diaphragm located at or near the exit end of said mouthpiece, a flexible disk lo- 9o cated between the perforated diaphragm and the other end of said mouthpiece, and an elastic washer interposed between the periphery of the disk and the periphery of the diaphragm, said washer separating the disk -froni the diaphragm and flexibly supporting the disk on said diaphragm, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an instrument of the character described, provided wiih a mouthpiece, a perroo forated diaphragm located at or near the eXit end of said mouthpiece, a flexible disk lopiece having the offset portion arranged so as to detachably turn in said socket, and a projeoting pin adapted to be brought into coutact with the metal point of said disk, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES A. IRVING.

Vituesses:

J. WALTER DoUGLAss, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

